my memories of eighty years-第51节

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heons　and　dinners。　　He　fell　in　at　once　in　the　Homburg　way。

The　routine　of　the　cure　was　to　be　at　the　springs　every　morning　at　seven　o'clock；　to　take　a　glass　of　water；　walk　half　an　hour　with　some　agreeable　companion；　and　repeat　this　until　three　glasses　had　been　consumed。　　Then　breakfast；　and　after　that　the　great　bathing…house　at　eleven　o'clock。　　The　bathing…house　was　a　meeting…place　for　everybody。　　Another　meeting…place　was　the　open…air　concerts　in　the　afternoon。　　In　the　evening　came　the　formal　dinners　and　some　entertainment　afterwards。　　

Both　for　luncheon　and　dinner　the　prince　always　had　quite　a　large　company。　　He　was　a　host　of　great　charm；　tact；　and　character。　　He　had　a　talent　of　drawing　out　the　best　there　was　in　those　about　his　table；　and　especially　of　making　the　occasion　very　agreeable　for　a　stranger。　　Any　one　at　his　entertainments　always　carried　away　either　in　the　people　he　met　or　the　things　that　were　said；　or　both；　permanent　recollections。

I　do　not　think　the　prince　bothered　about　domestic　questions。　　He　was　very　observant　of　the　limitations　and　restrictions　which　the　English　Government　imposes　upon　royalty。　　He　was；　however；　very　keen　upon　his　country's　foreign　relations。　　In　the　peace　of　Europe　he　was　an　important　factor；　being　so　closely　allied　with　the　imperial　houses　of　Germany　and　Russia。　　There　is　no　doubt　that　he　prevented　the　German　Emperor　from　acquiring　a　dangerous　control　over　the　Czar。　　He　was　very　fixed　and　determined　to　maintain　and　increase　friendly　relations　between　the　United　States　and　Great　Britain。　He　succeeded；　after　many　varied　and　long…continued　efforts；　in　doing　away　with　the　prejudices　and　hostilities　of　the　French　towards　the　English；　an　accomplishment　of　infinite　value　to　his　country　in　these　later　years。

I　was　told　that　the　prince　required　very　little　sleep；　that　he　retired　to　bed　late　and　was　an　early　riser。　　I　was　awakened　one　night　by　his　equerry　calling　me　up；　saying　the　prince　was　on　the　terrace　of　the　KursaaI　and　wanted　to　see　me。　　The　lights　were　all　out；　everybody　had　gone；　and　he　was　sitting　alone　at　a　table　illuminated　by　a　single　candle。　　What　he　desired　was　to　discuss　American　affairs　and　become　more　familiar　with　our　public　men；　our　ideals；　our　policies；　and　especially　any　causes　which　could　possibly　be　removed　of　irritation　between　his　own　country　and　ours。　　This　discussion　lasted　till　daylight。

Meeting　him　on　the　street　one　day；　he　stopped　and　asked　me　to　step　aside　into　an　opening　there　was　in　the　hedge。　　He　seemed　laboring　under　considerable　excitement；　and　said：　　〃Why　do　the　people　in　the　United　States　want　to　break　up　the　British　Empire？〃

I　knew　he　referred　to　the　Home　Rule　bill　for　Ireland；　which　was　then　agitating　Parliament　and　the　country；　and　also　the　frequent　demonstrations　in　its　favor　which　were　occurring　in　the　United　States。

I　said　to　him：　　〃Sir；　I　do　not　believe　there　is　a　single　American　who　has　any　thought　of　breaking　up　the　British　Empire。　　We　are　wedded　to　the　federal　principle　of　independent　States；　which　are　sovereign　in　their　local　affairs　and　home　matters；　but　on　everything　you　call　imperial　the　United　States　is　supreme。　　To　vindicate　this　principle　we　fought　a　Civil　War；　in　which　we　lost　more　lives；　spent　more　money；　destroyed　more　property；　and　incurred　more　debt　than　any　contest　of　modern　time。　　The　success　of　the　government　has　been　so　complete　that　the　States　which　were　in　rebellion　and　their　people　are　quite　as　loyal　to　the　general　government　as　those　who　fought　to　preserve　it。　　The　prosperity　of　the　country；　with　this　question　settled；　has　exceeded　the　bounds　of　imagination。　　So　Americans　think　of　your　trouble　with　Ireland　in　terms　of　our　federated　States　and　believe　that　all　your　difficulties　could　be　adjusted　in　the　same　way。〃

We　had　a　long　discussion　in　which　he　asked　innumerabIe　questions；　and　never　referred　to　the　subject　again。　　I　heard　afterwards　among　my　English　friends　that　he　who　had　been　most　hostile　was　becoming　a　Home　Ruler。

At　another　time　he　wanted　to　know　why　our　government　had　treated　the　British　ambassador；　Lord　Sackville　West；　so　badly　and　ruined　his　career。　　The　Sackville　West　incident　was　already　forgotten；　though　it　was　the　liveliest　question　of　its　time。

Cleveland　was　president　and　a　candidate　for　re…eIection。　Sackville　West　was　the　British　ambassador。　　A　little　company　of　shrewd　Republican　politicians　in　California　thought　if　they　could　get　an　admission　that　the　British　Government　was　interfering　in　our　election　in　favor　of　Cleveland；　it　would　be　a　fine　asset　in　the　campaign；　and　so　they　wrote　to　Lord　Sackville　West；　telling　him　they　were　Englishmen　who　had　become　naturalized　American　citizens。　　In　voting　they　were　anxious　to　vote　for　the　side　which　would　be　best　for　their　native　land；　would　he　kindly　and　very　confidentially　advise　them　whether　to　support　the　Democratic　or　the　Republican　ticket。　　SackvilIe　West　swallowed　the　bait　without　investigation；　and　wrote　them　a　letter　advising　them　to　vote　the　Democratic　ticket。

There　never　had　been　such　consternation　in　diplomatic　circles　in　Washington。　　Of　course；　Mr。　Cleveland　and　his　supporters　had　to　get　out　from　under　the　situation　as　quickly　and　gracefully　as　possible。

The　administration　instantly　demanded　that　the　British　Government　should　recall　Lord　Sackville　West；　which　was　done；　and　he　was　repudiated　for　his　activity　in　American　politics。　　It　was　curious　that　the　prince　had　apparently　never　been　fully　informed　of　the　facts；　but　had　been　misled　by　Sackville　West's　explanation；　and　the　prince　was　always　loyal　to　a　friend。

One　year　Mr。　James　G。　Blaine　visited　Homburg；　and　the　prince　at　once　invited　him　to　luncheon。　　Blaine's　retort　to　a　question　delighted　every　American　in　the　place。　　One　of　the　guests　was　the　then　Duke　of　Manchester；　an　old　man　and　a　great　Tory。　　When　the　duke　grasped　that　Blaine　was　a　leading　American　and　had　been　a　candidate　for　the　presidency　of　the　United　States；　all　his　old　Toryism　was　aroused；　and　he　was　back　in　the　days　of　George　III。　To　the　horror　of　the　prince；　the　duke　said　to　Mr。　Blaine：　　〃The　most　outrageous　thing　in　all　history　was　your　rebellion　and　separation　from　the　best　government　on　earth。〃　　He　said　much　more　before　the　prince　could　stop　him。

Blaine；　with　that　grace　and　tact　for　which　he　was　so　famous；　smilingly　said：　　〃Well；　your　Grace；　if　George　III　had　had　the　sense；　tact；　and　winning　qualities　of　his　great…grandson；　our　host；　it　is　just　possible　that　we　might　now　be　a　self…governing　colony　in　the　British　Empire。〃

The　answer　relieved　the　situation　and　immensely　pleased　the　host。　Lord　Rosebery　once　said　in　a　speech　that；　with　the　tremendous　growth　in　every　element　of　greatness　of　the　United　States；　if　the　American　colonies　had　remained　in　the　British　Empire；　with　their　preponderating　influence　and　prestige；　the　capital　of　Great　Britain　might　have　been　moved　to　New　York　and　Buckingham　Palace　rebuilt　in　Central　Park。

At　another　dinner　one　of　the　guests　of　the　prince　suddenly　shot　at　me　across　the　table　the　startling　question：　　〃Do　you　know　certain　American　heiresses〃naming　them〃now　visiting　London？〃

I　answered　〃Yes〃naming　one　especially；　a　very　beautiful　and　accomplished　girl　who　was　quite　the　most　popular　debutante　of　the　London　season。

〃How　much　has　she？〃　he　asked。

I　named　the　millions　which　she　would　probably　inherit。　　〃But；〃　I　added；　〃before　you　marry　an　American　heiress；　you　better　be　sure　that　she　can　say　the　Lord's　Prayer。〃

He　said　with　great　indignation　that　he　would　be　astonished　if　any　American　girl　could　be　recognized　in　English　society　who　had　been　so　badly　brought　up　that　she　was　not　familiar　with　the　Lord's　Prayer。

〃All　of　them　are；〃　I　replied；　〃but　few　heiresses；　unless　they　have　come　into　their　inheritance　and　can　say　'Our　Father；　who　art　in　heaven；'　will　inherit　much；　because　American　fathers　are　very　speculative。〃

He　continued　to　express　his　astonishment　at　this　lack　of　religious　training　in　an　American　family；　while　the　prince　enjoyed　the　joke　so　much　that　I　was　fearful　in　his　convulsive　laughter　he　would　have　a　fit　of　apoplexy。

Once；　at　a　dinner　given　by　the　prince；　an　old　lady　of　very　high　rank　and　leading　position　said　suddenly　to　me；　and　in　a　way　which　aroused　the　attention　of　the　whole　company：　　〃Is　it　true　that　divorces　are　very　common　in　America？〃

I　knew　that　a　denial　by　me　would　not　convince　her　or　any　others　who　shared　in　this　belief；　then　very　common　in　Europe。　　Of　course；　the　prince　knew　better。　　I　saw　from　his　expression　that　he　wished　me　to　take　advantage　of　the　opportunity。　　I　made　up　my　mind　quickly　that　the　best　way　to　meet　this　belief　was　by　an　exaggeration　which　would　show　its　absurdity。

Having　once　started；　the　imaginative　situation　grew　beyond　my　anticipation。　　I　answered：　　〃Yes；　divorces　are　so　common　with　us　that　the　government　has　set　aside　one　of　our　forty…odd　States　for　this　special　purpose。　　It　is　the　principal　business　of　the　authorities。　Most　of　these　actions　for　divorce　take　place　at　the　capital；　which　is　always　crowded　with　great　numbers　of　people　from　all　parts　of　the　country　seeking　relief　from　their　marital　obligations。〃

〃Did　you　ever　visit　that　capital？〃　asked　the　prince。

〃Yes；　several　times；〃　I　answered；　〃but　not　for　div